Each participant in this study provided valuable information to the pre-determined questions of the researcher‟s instrument guide; nevertheless, the four weavers contributed the invaluable information leading to the unanticipated themes. The interviews revealed that weaving, an example of Appalachian culture, compels an oral information system in the form of stories passed down within a culture of women. Teaching and learning the cultural tradition involves experiencing it for oneself by manipulating the loom and interacting with the other weavers. As the therapeutic effects of weaving create a connection with a loom, the connection with weavers of the past becomes clear through the stories shared by the weavers of the present. The knowledge of the weaving culture persists as the women pass on the information, further illustrating the importance of the oral exchange of their collective experiences. This communal history embodies an essential component of the cultural heritage of Appalachia.
During the interviews, the participants established that Appalachian cultural heritage stems from the way of life in the mountains. Living in isolated, self-sufficient communities, the people of Appalachia continued to use the traditions of the past to provide for
themselves. This “root” that they cultivated endures only to the extent that Appalachians maintain these practices or at least knowledge of them. Weaving no longer represents one of the limited options for supplying clothes and linens, and considering its labor-intensive nature, the practice of weaving likely would not have survived into the twenty-first century without the dedication of those at the Weaving Room and elsewhere. The weavers have
carried a part of the Appalachian “root” with them, and they have also helped define it. As practitioners of a cultural tradition, the weavers interpret their craft through their modern perspective, but the innate connection with the past furnishes the true Appalachian context. These women care about this aspect of Appalachian cultural heritage because of their bond with the weavers of the past – Appalachian women of the past. The culture of women created through teaching and learning weaving promotes that bond and encourages the preservation of the tradition. This environment of undocumented , oral narratives and experiences presents an ideal situation for recording a facet of the cultural heritage of a specific group of people.
The data presented in this case study exemplifies the intangible cultural heritage described by UNESCO as highly at risk to be lost. Cultural traditions with a considerable oral component must be recorded in order to ensure their preservation, and Appalachian culture lacks such attention. Systematic research documenting the features of local instances of cultural traditions needs to be undertaken while the sources of information can still participate. The transmission of the cultural heritage information relevant to weaving at the Crossnore School reflects the history and current state of an Appalachian community and its people. This small part of Appalachia adds to the culture of the region as a whole but
reflects only itself. While weaving has survived at the Crossnore School for almost a century, knowledge of that process remained undocumented until now. Unfortunately, numerous other examples of Appalachian cultural heritage undoubtedly still remain neglected.
SUMMARY
The researcher approached this study with the intention of documenting
Appalachian cultural heritage at a school that offers its students the opportunity to learn the cultural practice of weaving. Teaching culture embodies an information system that is relevant to numerous academic disciplines, yet few studies have sought to record aspects of Appalachian culture that reflect positively on the region and its people. Nine stakeholders of the Crossnore School and Weaving Room shared their thoughts and experiences with the researcher and provided insight into a local instance of Appalachian culture within the mountains of western North Carolina. The four weavers presented the most relevant information concerning the impact of weaving as a facet of Appalachian culture, but each participant contributed an important point of view for the recording of the Appalachian perspective.
Culture embodies a somewhat elusive set of characteristics of groups ranging in size from small communities to regions and countries and even larger areas of the world. As an abstract concept, culture exhibits a fluidity that renders its documentation a difficult task; nevertheless, researchers should confront the challenge. Organizations such as UNESCO promote the preservation of cultural heritage, and research studies possess the potential to contribute to such missions. The twentieth century instigated enormous cultural changes within the U.S. and throughout the world, and several academic fields look at these
important transformations. Appalachia represents an American cultural group that receives attention from researchers but not typically to chronicle the socially-positive cultural traits of
the Appalachian people. This research study seeks to document an aspect of Appalachian culture by examining the place of a cultural tradition within the curriculum of a unique school. The studies cited in the literature review illustrate that researchers often focus on Appalachia and its people because of the socially-negative trends prevalent in the region; however, high rates of high school dropouts, adolescent pregnancy, and mental illness (particularly depression) fail to record even a remotely comprehensive review of components of Appalachian culture. Moreover, the intangible cultural heritage connected to Appalachian traditions stands at a risk of irreparable loss if it is not recorded as soon as possible. The lack of systematic research documenting the culture of Appalachia not only justifies but
encourages studies that seek to provide this information.
By focusing on the Weaving Room at the Crossnore School, this study records the role of Appalachian culture in an environment that actively acknowledges the regional culture. Through semistructured interviews, the various stakeholder participants provided their individual interpretations of Appalachian culture and its place at this unique school. This method of empirical research offers credibility to the data and transferability to the research process. The data collected for this study has been organized into a case study of the Crossnore School and Weaving Room that contributes to the body of knowledge of the Appalachian culture and people.